Another update on Kaylee's TB

we had our appt. with the e.n.t specialist in brunswick. he is the one who ordered the tb skin test to begin with. he said the only reason he ordered it was because he felt the lymph nodes were swollen just because there was a disease in the body not because he thought the tb was in the lymph nodes themselves. he was very thorough and went through the options with me. he like the specialist in portland feels that it is just in the body and nor the lymph nodes. he said it is ultimately our decision as to whether we want them to remove them or not. one drawback is that right where the lumps are is also where a major facial vein or vessel (can't remember what it was) is. he said they do these all the time, but there is a risk of facial paralysis for life. he said what he would like to do is start treating her as non active(meaning no tb in the lymph nodes) and if they do not go away then remove them at that time. of course then you have the question of, if it is active tb then won't it spread. he said no necessarily. i am very confused, but my thoughts right now are to start treating her as inactive and see what happens. the facial paralysis really scared me, and maybe that's why he told me that. we also discussed tubes for the girls and he said to discuss it with their dr. again and make sure that was what we wanted to do and he would do it. he also said that if we do go with tubes that we may as well have the lumps taken out so they will only have to do general anesthesia once, but i don't think i want him doing that. i guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it. anyway, on to more news.
our dog got sprayed by a skunk tonight!!! boy did it stink!. i didn't think we would ever get the smell out of our house or off her. i found this awesome recipe that worked the very first time. here it is:

The Recipe & Directions


The Skunk Remedy Recipe

In a plastic bucket, mix well the following ingredients:

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/4 cup of baking soda

1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap



for very large pets one quart of tepid tap water may be added to enable complete coverage.

Wash pet promptly and thoroughly, work the solution deep into the fur. Let your nose guide you, leave the solution on about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Some heavily oiled areas may require a "rinse and repeat" washing.

Skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of the eyes - it stings. If you have any cuts on your hands you might want to wear latex gloves for the same reason.

After treatment, thoroughly rinse your pet with tepid tap water.

Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water.

NEVER, ever, store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer,etc. Pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.

**********Notes**************

1) Clean plastic mixing containers and utensils are preferred. Metals encourage auto-decomposition of the peroxide.

2) Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution is usually sold in pint (500ml) bottles, so you'll need two. The 3% grade is often marked "U.S.P.", meaning that it meets the standards for medical use and purity as set forth in the United States Pharmacopoeia.

The use of other strengths/grades is not recommended unless you're a chemist, and even then a trip to the 24-hour drugstore is much better than a trip to the emergency room.

3) Use baking soda, not baking powder. "Arm and Hammer" is one popular brand. Baking soda is also called: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, U.S.P., Bicarbonate of Soda, and Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate. Do not confuse any of the above with Washing Soda, which is Sodium Carbonate. Washing Soda is about 100 times more alkaline than Baking Soda and can cause skin burns to both you and your pet.

4) Two preferred brands are "Softsoap" and "Ivory Liquid". As far as auto-decomposition of the peroxide is concerned, the surfactant package in these two is fairly inert. Heavy-duty grease-cutting brands such as "Dawn" are less inert, and hair shampoo is probably the worst.

5) Once mixed, the peroxide slowly breaks down into water and oxygen gas. Thus it gets weaker with time and so it should be used promptly. The exact rate depends on temperature, pH, and catalysts such as trace amounts of metals (iron,etc.) in the soap and/or tap water.

How much pressure will the complete decomposition of 3% hydrogen peroxide produce in a closed container ??? It depends on how full the container is. Assuming negligible solubility of Oxygen in water, a bottle half-full of peroxide will develop about 140 psi. A bottle 3/4 full would develop 420 psi. This can do a lot of damage.

Highly pure hydrogen peroxide decomposes very slowly if kept cool and in a dark place, a few percent a year. The more dilute solutions usually decompose faster (due to impurities in the dilution water) and have a trace of stabilizer added. So why aren't the bottles in the store bloated or bursting ? Look carefully inside the cap... you'll see some very tiny holes in the cap liner to let the oxygen gas escape. A good reason to always store bottles upright.

Look for an expiration date on your peroxide. If you're using stuff which has been sitting around in your medicine cabinet for years, buy fresh peroxide.

6) Tepid: lukewarm.

7) All brand names mentioned in this website are trademarks of their various owners.

As for the house, i mopped the kitchen floor and then set up 5 little bowls of tomato juice around the kitchen (it's supposed to absorb the smell). it seems to have worked, and really fast!!! i can't say the same for the outside though. i also thought i would say thanks to my dad for bringing over the ingredients. you see, i am not a cook and had no baking soda. anyway, that's the update for tonight. now you know why i am not an animal lover, i have 4 kids, why do i need someone to keep me busy after they go to bed???? oh well, she is good and is getting better at listening, maybe one day i will love her (i only like her right now). okay, have a great evening, i know this is a pretty boring update following the great pictures last night, but who knows, maybe someday you will nedd this recipe :)